Supporters vow to continue fight

A determined Rob Williams, head of Malton School, who had made an eleventh hour plea in vain to persuade the council to back the scheme, said: "I have told students and staff that we will improve the sports facilities for the benefit of the school, the local community of Malton and Norton, and the eight feeder primary schools. It may not be to the standard which was envisaged, but I believe improved facilities are deliverable."

He said the school was hopeful of getting up to £300,000 from the Football Foundation and the school itself was putting in £250,000 for an astro turf pitch. In addition, said Mr Williams, he hoped the school could work with the Derwent Sports Association and the local tennis and bowls club which had shown interest in moving to the school grounds.

"There are a number of concrete things," he added. "My plan now is to launch an appeal. I am looking to local construction companies which might consider working with us on a cost basis, and to other big sponsors and people in Malton and Norton."

Last Thursday's decision had "cleared the air" said Mr Williams. "We now know what the situation is regarding Ryedale Council, and we now have to get things moving. It is not unreasonable for us to hope that the council will come on board with a scheme as a partner, but with a reduced level of funding.

"I am by no means giving up, but I am taking an alternative route, though I am not seeking to overturn the council decision. I want to focus on something positive and tangible."

Mr Williams said it would benefit the school's 704 students, as well as 500 children from feeder schools and 2,000 pupils in other Ryedale schools. "They need someone to take a lead to improve the provision of sports facilities for them. It is incumbent on me to take a positive approach."

Meanwhile, Coun Howard Keal, one of the leading supporters of the centre scheme, who walked out of the meeting after the decision was announced, said: "We will continue to fight and fight again to do everything we can to make this scheme a reality and provide a centre that our community needs and deserves."

He added that his Liberal Democrat group had "unearthed a rule" that means the council's decision could be considered again, if a quarter of the council backed the idea.

"It is outrageous that the Tories clothed their despicable decision in a manufactured guise, that money is needed for affordable housing when they know as well as we do, that it can be provided without costing the council a penny. It is equally ridiculous for them to claim that it was a case of either jobs or a sports centre. Both were equally affordable."

Coun Keal hit out: "The brutal truth is that they didn't want this project at any price, for the sake of scoring political points, the Tories trampled all over the community they are supposed to represent. We are now determined to salvage the centre from the ashes, despite all the odds."

He said the public in the council chamber had been "aghast" that the council's youth champion, Coun Natalie Warriner had not supported the hopes of the young people of Ryedale.

"We shall be seeking talks with Coun Warriner to allay her fears about the costs, and explain that it will be in the interests of young people across Ryedale."

Keith Sales, a leading figure in the Ryedale sporting world for more than 40 years, especially in football, labelled the council's decision as "disgraceful".

It would, he said, be an answer to keeping young people who complained they had nothing to do, off the streets. "This centre would benefit the whole area. I am just amazed by the council's absolutely stupid decision. I feel very sorry for Mr Williams who has done a tremendous job putting the case forward. He has been badly let down."

John Taylor, founder chairman and now treasurer of the Derwent Sports Centre Association, which has raised £50,000 over the years towards the centre, said: "I am gutted by the decision. I would definitely welcome a new modified scheme if one can be produced. But I was disgusted with the second vote when there was a move to get it taken back for further consideration by a committee."

He said that the potential 800 people who are likely to be employed at the proposed £20 million science and enterprise park at Old Malton, and their families, would be looking for sports facilities in the future.

County Coun Mike Knaggs, chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, a Malton town councillor, and governor of Malton School, who advocated the building of the centre at the Fitzwilliam Sports Complex in Old Malton Road, said: "I would like to see a more modest scheme because I am in favour of a sports and leisure complex, but in the right place."

"I cannot understand why councillors who represent Norton are supporting the centre being built at the most westerly point of Malton, when Norton is the biggest town. This is a point which a number of people have raised with me."

He said he feared that the final cost would have been higher than Ryedale's "ceiling" figure of £4 million, and he was anxious to see it be primarily a community facility and not one dominated by a school.

l A PRESSURE group of residents, councillors and business heads is holding a public meeting tomorrow (Thursday) to explore ways of reviving the plan to build a sports centre.

Thrive is holding the meeting at Norton Town Council chamber in Commercial Street, at 7.45pm.

Carl Wain, chairman, said Thrive members had been concerned that the public gallery had been reduced. "We can only assume that reducing public access was a cynical attempt to minimise public involvement in the meeting. We were however, heartened to see that some of the councillors quickly addressed this."

Mr Wain added: "At the council meeting last year there was a unanimous decision, apart from two abstentions, to support the building of the leisure centre. Members had continued to show their support for this project, even up to two weeks before last week's council meeting."